Isomer-Specific
Serum Concentrations of Perfluorooctane
Sulfonic Acid among U.S. Adults: Results from the National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Study of Women’s
Health Across the Nation Multi-Pollutant Study (SWAN-MPS)
posted on 2022-12-19, 17:21authored byHabyeong Kang, Antonia M. Calafat, Carrie A. Karvonen-Gutierrez, Sung Kyun Park
Electrochemical fluorination manufacture
of perfluorooctane
sulfonic
acid (PFOS), one of the most studied per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,
produces mixtures of linear and branched isomers, but little is known
about human exposure to linear or branched PFOS isomers. We examined
determinants affecting isomer-specific patterns of PFOS in serum in
two adult populations in the United States, the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Study of Women’s
Health Across the Nation Multi-Pollutant Study (SWAN-MPS). After adjusting
for demographic variables, fish consumption (in both populations),
a glomerular filtration rate above 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 (observed
in NHANES; not tested in SWAN-MPS), premenopausal status (only observed
in SWAN-MPS), and less consumption of processed food (observed in
SWAN-MPS; not tested in NHANES) were associated with a higher proportion
of linear PFOS. Non-Hispanic Black and Asian participants were likely
to have a higher proportion of linear PFOS than non-Hispanic White
participants in both populations. Our findings suggest that isomer-specific
patterns of PFOS serum concentrations in humans vary depending on
population characteristics that affect PFOS exposure and excretion.
Consideration of specific PFOS isomers in future human biomonitoring
and epidemiologic studies can provide useful insight to better understand
PFOS exposure.